Sideshow’s Week in Geek: Cinephiles!

Sideshow’s Week in Geek spotlights some of the cool and exciting ways Sideshow employees share our lifestyle as pop culture fans on and off the clock. This week- Cinephiles!

From big summer blockbusters to smaller arthouse films, the world of cinema inspires us as geeks to explore our creative and visual passions. Because there is just so much film in the world and it’s almost impossible to have seen it all, several Sideshow staffers have banded together to celebrate some of these films that don’t get the fanfare they deserve.

Each month, Sideshow’s avid moviegoers and casual viewers alike gather to share their favorite independent, grindhouse, horror, and foreign films in a group known as the Sideshow Cinephiles club. The movies watched this year included:

Neon Demon

They Live

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

2001: A Space Odyssey

Only Lovers Left Alive

House

A Ghost Story

Harold and Maude

Blue Velvet

Rosemary’s Baby

The Royal Tenenbaums

Phantasm

Hereditary

We asked staff attendees to share their experiences seeing new films, rewatching old favorites in a new way, and more…

How many movie nights did you attend?

“4, I think.” –Lauren

“I attended 3 screenings.” –Amy

“Most of them!” –Anna

“5. I wish I could have attended more!” –Michelle

“Only one!” –Kiana

“I went to 3.” –Kat

What is your favorite movie you watched this year?

“Rosemary’s Baby. I’ve seen it a million times, but never on a big screen- it was intense.” –Lauren

“A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night was my favorite because it was nothing like what I had expected. It was beautiful!” –Amy

Were there any films that surprised you or gave you a new perspective after watching them?

“I actually had not seen They Live, and had no idea just how rad it was.” –Kat

“It was fun to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey with some of the (ahem) younger folks who work here, who had never seen it before, but were familiar with all the cultural references from the film already.” –Anna

“Gotta give props to Hausu again. This was a first time viewing for me, and while I knew it would be quirky, I was truly surprised at how much influence you could see that it had on other films, or vice versa. I saw some Italian vibes in there (fight me), which were super fun to spot and think about afterwards.” –Michelle

“Hausu was definitely a side of Japanese cinema, and horror cinema in general, that I wasn’t familiar with. It was bizarre, and was definitely more of an experience than just a regular movie-viewing.” –Amy

“A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night– beautiful eerie soundtrack and intense shots. Great cinema can come from every corner of the world, we shouldn’t forget that.” –Lauren

What is your favorite part of watching movies with coworkers?

“Being able to see a film with like-minded folk who respect the fact that horror and suspense should always be enjoyed with total silence, complete darkness, and surround sound.” –Lauren

“It’s more relaxing than a public theater experience.” –Kat

“The vicarious joy of watching someone experience a new story that makes them feel differently and question everything.” –Anna

“If it is a movie I have already seen, I enjoy getting the chance to see coworkers’ reactions to the movies and being able to discuss them afterwards.” –Kiana

“The discussions afterward! Sharing favorite moments, talkin’ crud, whatever it may have been. We had a small and diverse group of attendees, but all of them were great movie-goers.” –Michelle

“I like getting the chance to experience films that I wouldn’t normally seek out on my own, while also watching them with a mixture of people who have already seen the film and those who are also getting to see it for the first time.” –Amy

If you could pick one film to screen that hasn’t been shown yet, which would it be?

“There are SO MANY more movies I want to screen! City of Lost Children, Dead Man, Inglorious Basterds, Virgin Suicides, The Birds, Requiem for a Dream, The Bad Batch, Before Sunset…” –Anna

“White Chicks, it’s an old French Film. You probably haven’t heard of it.” –Lauren

“Well, this movie is great fun AND perfect for the season- Silent Night, Deadly Night. Punish!!!” –Michelle

“I like quirky movies, so maybe something like The Science of Sleep, or What We Do in the Shadows. Or maybe something that I’ve always wanted to see on a big screen, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” –Kiana

“Dune!” –Kat

“I’d pick Rubber– the French horror-satire about a sentient killer car tire. It has one of my favorite opening monologues ever! Why? No reason.” –Amy

Anything else you’d like to add?

“More David Lynch please!” –Kat

“This message is for the MCs of the screenings: If you let me pick a movie, I promise it will be awesome and it won’t be Dawn of the Dead! (Ricky, I’m looking at you.)” –Michelle

“I. Love. Film. There’s nothing like it. A good film challenges how you think and transports you into another body, another mind, for a few hours. It’s magical.” –Anna

Big thanks to the Cinephiles who shared their movie-viewing experiences with us this week! Be sure to check out our last Week in Geek, where Sideshow’s in-house adventurers shared their experiences playing Dungeons & Dragons 5E.

How have you Let Your Geek Sideshow this week? Let us know in the comments.